I am satisfied with my ambassadorial role here. Although I have only really been in Germany for about 6 weeks, I have definitely fulfilled my role. I have made an effort to cut my ties with Americans here and speak German with Germans. I am constantly asking people where they are from and what it's like there. A good example relates to a girl from Riga, Latvia. I asked where she was from and she replied "Lettland" - I didn't know this was the German name for Latvia, so she said that I ought to know if I'm interested in diplomacy, which we had discussed earlier. I then explained to her that I didn't know Lettland was Latvia, and to make my point clear and to make sure I was certain about where it was, I told her that it was between Estonia and Lithuania (whose capital cities I also mentioned). I wanted to let her know that I do want to learn about countries! I am interested in the world! I do know some things about it! And I think I've made that point clear to all of my acquaintances - I've lived in Germany for a year already, China for two months, and plan on interning in Serbia next Spring. And I write for an art center in Shanghai and have two passports and am working on getting my third. Although my German still needs work, the fact that I carry around a little log and write down every incomprehensible word lets people know that I really am trying to learn the language - and it's paid off! My German is getting so much better!
Yay for being an ambassador! I'm not trying that hard but I think I'm still doing just fine.
And integration? I was on the way to Stuttgart on my way to Belgrade and I got off at the wrong train station. While waiting, a girl joined me and I asked her if it was easy to get to Stuttgart from the station the train was heading towards. She said that was the case, and then said "Du gehst bestimmt feiern, oder?" (You're definitely going to some party, right?) I told her I was on the way to Budapest, and ultimately Belgrade, where I was visiting my good friend. We got to chatting and she eventually told me that I had a small accent and asked where I was from. I told her "California." She gawked at me with wide eyes. "But you're fluent!" And I said "Wenn du meinst!" ("If you say so!") I was flattered. On the train, I was talking to a Croatian construction worker who was born in Germany. I definitely noticed his accent - it was difficult for me to believe that he was born in Germany (no offense dude). And then other people have told me that they can tell right away if I'm American.
Mixed reviews tend to confuse, but I'm satisfied with my integration. I've managed to mingle, mingle, mingle with the Germans well enough.